


FTL: The Last Stand of Captain Malott and the Kestrel

by DonnyJaBronie



Category: FTL: Faster Than Light (Video Game)
Genre: Dramatic, Fun, Gen, Space Adventure, space
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-11
Updated: 2021-02-11
Packaged: 2021-03-17 22:21:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,971
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29357901
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DonnyJaBronie/pseuds/DonnyJaBronie
Summary: The mission was supposed to be the journey home. Upon arriving back at the Federation HQ, Captain Malott of the Kestrel received one last command: save the Federation. This is the story of the Kestrel's, and the Federation's, last stand against the rebel forces.
Comments: 3
Kudos: 4





	FTL: The Last Stand of Captain Malott and the Kestrel

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this story based on a really fun run of FTL I had the other day, a run I liked so much I wanted to immortalize it. I don't expect anybody but me to read this, but if you do I hope you like it <3

Oxygen was falling fast. Half the ship was on fire. The cockpit was almost utterly destroyed.

And the rebels were charging for one last volley of shots to put the Kestrel out of its misery.

They had travelled across galaxies. Repaired their ship back from bits. They'd made it back to Federation HQ in perfect condition, documents in hand that would turn the tables on this war once and for all, and done it all without losing a single crew member.

Captain Malott, engineer Maxim, and gunner Scott. A bare-bones infiltration squad who'd done the impossible. They would have been heroes, known for centuries to come. Maybe even their two extra crewmen, the rebel-turncoat Pipaluk and the robot-for-hire Engi (nicknamed Debbie), would be remembered. 

But all those accomplishments and commendations were about to be scorched away.

The Federation was in far worse shape than when the Kestrel embarked on their mission. Holding off the rebel attacks had taken a toll on the once-great force. "You've proven to be the best-manned ship we have," the President of the Federation Force told Malott, "and our last hope."

The rebels must have known those documents would end the war, responding with an all-out attack led by the flagship. After what the Kestrel had done to make it back to HQ alive, Malott knew there'd be no surrender available. 

"Yes, Mr. President. We'll take the flagship down.” 

* * *

The flagship was a beast unlike any of the ships they’d seen on their travels. Guns, turrets, shields, teleporters; if the operating system existed, it was installed on this flagship. But beyond the sheer quantity of weapons, the systems were more advanced than anything they’d seen. Lasers that pierced through shields. 4 missiles launching alongside a volley of 7 laser shots. Infiltration drones. A Zoltan shield near-impossible to break through. 

_So much for that hope._

Despite this imposing threat, the Kestrel and it’s crew were ready. 

Scott charged every weapon quicker than anybody Malott had ever seen, and fired with precision to the same degree. With just the right timing, he could pierce through the flagship’s shields with a volley of laser bursts and follow-up with pike beams to rip apart their systems. 

Debbie kept shields up and brought them back online almost immediately after being knocked offline, keeping any attacks at bay. If any were to break through, Pipaluk would be there to get things back in working order and return to her station on surveillance. She had the arduous duty of raising cloaks and targeting systems for Scott to attack. 

As for Maxim, Malott knew if he gave an order to divert power to part of the engine or take the ship in a different direction Maxim would carry the order out to the exact specification. 

If any Federation ship would be able to take down the flagship, it’d be the Kestrel. 

* * *

The Kestrel had taken some damage, but the flagship was in shambles. Victory was almost at hand, but just as soon as the crew thought it was over, the flagship escaped. The rebels had already tried this tactic once, heading straight for the Federation base in a desperate attack before being cut off by the Kestrel. This time, they retreated back to an ally beacon. 

“We’ve got no choice,” Malott said to his crew. “If we chase after them the rest of the rebel fleet will tear us apart. It’s too risky to venture into open space searching for a repair depot, either.”

“Captain, if we don’t take down that flagship the rebels will converge on our position and take us out,” said Pipaluk. 

“If we give chase we’ll rush straight into a rebel fleet and save them the trouble. Now, just like the flagship is too much for any other Federation ship to handle, we’re too much for any but the flagship. We wouldn’t be here right now if that wasn’t the case.” 

“So it’s a war of attrition?” asked Maxim.

“No. They know what’s on those documents will get out and spread across the galaxies. They don’t have the benefit of time being on their side. No, they’ll make as many repairs as they can manage and come back to finish the job.” 

“And if their repairs are too much for us to overcome?” 

“Then, Maxim, it will have been a privilege being your captain.” 

“...Aye. And a privilege for I to serve you.” 

The ship was filled with silence for the first time since this last stand began. Between the fight for survival and rapid repairs, there wasn’t time for rest. Now that rest seemed more like a burden. 

Pipaluk spoke up. “Captain, it’s looking like your hunch was right. Scanners are showing the flagship moving our way.” 

“Acknowledged. Everyone, man your stations. We’re bringing this war to an end.” 

* * *

The rebel flagship and her forces fought with a desperation unlike any they’d ever seen. Where once there were simple EMP drones launched to disable weapons, now there were soldiers. Where once there was defensive turrets, now there were breaching security drones. Where once there was defense, now there was offense. 

The Kestrel was being hammered. First the cloaking went down. Then, the weapons were under fire. Pipaluk, Debbie and Scott fought off intruders and attempted to repair as much as they could, but the barrage was relentless. 

“Scott! Man the guns!” Malott ordered. 

“Aye sir! Weapons firing!” 

The burst was strong enough to break through their shields, but not at full power. The system was still damaged from an earlier attack, which meant the best they could do is damage the flagship once more before bracing for the next wave of shots. 

“Captain, enemy weapons nearly fully charged!” Pipaluk shouted.

“Get those cloaks up or we’re done for!” 

“They’re too heavily damaged, we need more time,” Debbie responded. 

“There is no time!” Malott grimaced. “Everyone, stay on your current posts! Scott, get those weapons recharged!”

“Aye sir!” 

The flagship fired everything they had. 4 missiles, an attack drone, 5 laser bursts. 

“Maxim! Full power left engines!” 

The Kestrel spun, narrowly dodging a missile and two lasers, not being so lucky with the other 7 shots fired towards them. 

The drone burst through the oxygen supply, beginning the slow suffocation of the ship. The missiles and lasers took out medbay and shields. Fire was spreading in the sub-compartment connected to the cockpit. Malott prepared to issue orders to the crew, but was interrupted by a crash followed by an explosion on the other side of the room. 

* * *

“Malott! Malott, do you read me?” Scott shouted over intercom. 

Malott was in the pilot seat a second ago. That is, the second before a missile burst through the roof exploding on the opposite end of the cockpit.

From his view on the floor, Malott was surprised he wasn’t already dead. Oxygen was falling fast. Half the ship was on fire. The cockpit was almost utterly destroyed. 

And the rebels were charging for one last volley of shots to put the Kestrel out of its misery.

Dazed and coughing, Malott reached up to his intercom. “The cockpit’s taken heavy damages with fire spreading fast!”

“Right, I’m on my way!” responded Pipaluk. 

“No! We need our shields up now! Maxim, Pipaluk, Debbie, get to shields! Scott, keep those weapons charging and get to oxygen!” 

“Aye sir, I’m on it!” Scott said. 

Malott reached for his extinguisher but the fire was overwhelming. 

“Captain! Surveillance is down!” Pipaluk shouted.

In between coughs, Malott asked, “Another volley?”

“No, it must be damages from the fire!” 

_Too many damages. Fire spreading too fast. The Kestrel isn’t making it out of this mess. But neither can the flagship._

Rushing through burning room after burning room, Malott diverted power from broken subsystems back into the Medbay. “Debbie, keep those shields up! Pipaluk and Maxim, get to Medbay before you die on me!” 

With surveillance down, there was no way of knowing what was happening aboard the flagship or how soon the next volley would come. Checking sensors, the Kestrel was powered for one last partially-powered attack. 

“Scott, fire all weapons!” 

Without another second, all weapons unloaded on the flagship shields, breaking clean through. 

“Fire pike beams, now!” 

As soon as the shields were dropped, the Kestrel’s laser beam pierced across the flagship. Within seconds, several explosions burst out before the entire flagship began to break apart. Their next volley would never come. 

“Pipaluk, Debbie, get the doors back online! We need to vent all the oxygen out of this ship as we can manage!” 

“Our oxygen systems still isn’t online, don’t be too fast to vent out what we’ve got,” Maxim said. 

“Scott, what’s going on in there? Why haven’t you brought oxygen back online?” 

There was no response. Malott checked his interface, but no vital signs for Scott were appearing. 

“Maxim, come with me to oxygen! We need to get it back online if we’re to make it out alive!” 

Malott and Maxim took the last breaths they could force in before heading to the mast of the ship, now devoid of oxygen. 

In the oxygen bay, the duo found the remains of an attack drone, a patched-up floor where the drone burst through, and a decimated oxygen system. Next to the system was Scott, on the ground unconscious. Malott motioned for Maxim to get to work on the system, desperate to bring it online before it was too late. 

“Captain, doors are back online, emptying starboard to clear out the fires!” Pipaluk shouted over coms. “Debbie and I are back in medbay, don’t make us hold our breath.”

Oxygen systems were partially online. Not ideal, but good enough to keep the crew alive. With the job as finished as they could manage, Malott looked over to see Maxim beginning to slump to the floor. 

Oxygen would begin to refill, but not soon enough. He didn’t have the benefit of time being on his side. With Scott on the floor unmoving and Maxim falling, Malott used the rest of his strength to pull Maxim out of the oxygen room leaving Scott behind. 

After several seconds of being in an air-filled room once more, Maxim began to come to. 

“Well, you think we’re gonna make it off of this ship?” Maxim asked. 

“Let’s go find out,” Malott responded. 

The duo returned to the Medbay, finding Pipaluk resting upright on one of the cots. 

“Pipaluk, report,” Malott ordered. “How’s the fire situation?” 

“All clear, sir. Debbie’s patching up the cockpit, I came back to catch my breath.” 

“Any signs of the rebel fleet?” Maxim asked.

“If there are, we’re blind. Surveillance is still dark and oxygen too sparse.”

“If the rebel fleet attacks, it won’t be our duty to stop them,” Malott said. “We’ve done as much as we can. Maxim, get back on engines. It’s time for us to give the Kestrel her final landing.” 

* * *

Malott piloted the Kestrel into the docking bay of the Federation HQ. With the engines finally turned off and the long journey officially over, the crew disembarked. 

Outside, they were met by a greeting party with the President of the Federation.

“I see you’ve returned,” the President said to Malott. 

“Yes,” Malott responded. He took a deep breath and a look around at the crew standing around him. Maxim, who had been with Malott from the very beginning, Pipaluk, who would likely be arrested if the Federation knew who she originally served, and the robotic Engi dubbed Debbie, who seemed nonchalant about the magnitude of what they had just accomplished. This sparse, tattered and broken crew had managed to deal the killing blow to the rebellion army. 

One member of the team was noticably absent. 

Malott took another deep breath before finally finishing his thought. 

_It’s over._

“The flagship is no more,” Malott said. “We’ve won.” 


End file.
